


a secret come to light

by Hellokaelyn



Series: Ellick Week [3]
Category: NCIS
Genre: (I think?), F/M, bordering on cheating, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23779504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn
Summary: Being Rafael was his little secret...and Rafael was Ellie’s.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres, Past Ellie/Jake - Relationship
Series: Ellick Week [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711291
Comments: 4
Kudos: 53





	a secret come to light

**Author's Note:**

> ellick week day 3!  
> “I should have told you a long time ago.”

When their case took off with the announcement they were getting help from the NSA, Nick thought nothing of it. He was on his way to Afghanistan to locate someone in one of the villages who held information they needed, no thought in his mind about this mysterious person the team would be working with in his place. 

It was hours after he landed that he was able to get in contact with them, only for McGee to quickly tell him  _ who _ was working with them. Nick’s first thought was Ellie. McGee told him she was handling it as if Jake was just an old co-worker, nothing more. It wasn’t until he  _ saw _ Jake that his mind registered that his secret would be coming out.

Nick could feel it, the secret burning under his tongue like fire. He should have told her four years ago, but now it was too late he realized the second Jake’s eyes met his through the video call. He was all the way in Afghanistan with spotty contact, and Jake was standing beside her- a look of shock on his face as he saw an old friend. By the time he came home, Ellie would know the truth...she was never a stranger to him, no, he knew who she was all along.

_ “Okay seriously man, we’ve been friends for how many months and I still haven’t met or seen this amazing woman you constantly talk about?” Nick asked the man next to him with a chuckle, clapping a hand down onto his shoulder. _

_ Jake grinned at the teasing, shifting on the bar stool to pull his phone out, handing it to Nick after going to his gallery. “I didn’t think you cared that much Raf.” _

_ Nick, Rafael, rolled his eyes and grabbed for the phone. “I’m curious, so sue me.”  _

_ He wasn’t prepared for the beautiful blonde woman smiling up at him from the phone screen. Nick clenched his jaw just slightly to try and control his expression as he flipped through the pictures, she only became more beautiful with every photo. Her eyes and smile bright, a carefree look upon her face as if nothing could bring her down. A small part of him yearned for that- a life where a woman like her could be with him, but he was damaged and broken and she was the sunshine hiding behind the dark clouds surrounding him, unreachable.  _

_ Jake took his phone back, not noticing the way Nick’s hands shook.  _

_ He saw plenty of beautiful women, spent nights with said women..so why did this one he never met  _ and _ was with someone else affect him so much?  _

_ “She’s beautiful man.” Nick told him with a forced smile. “What’s she doing with the likes of you?” He teased.  _

_ Jake laughed. “I ask myself that everyday.” _

Nick paced along the tent he was staying in, alternating between clenching his fists and running his hands roughly down his face or through his hair. It was two days later and the case was solved, but the only contact he had back home was the short conversations with Gibbs, the last being a few hours ago with news that he was on the next flight out. 

Ellie had to know by now, she just had to- and he didn’t know how she would react to him.

Being Rafael was his little secret...and Rafael was Ellie’s. 

Jake may have been the first one to actually cheat—but she was the one to dip her toes into the water first. Nick knew it from the start, but even after learning about what her ex-husband did, he said nothing. 

He and Ellie never met all those years ago but spent hours upon hours texting the other after he stole her number from Jake’s phone one night for information on a birthday present. At first it started innocently enough, but things shifted after Jake got a promotion resulting in later hours and him neglecting their relationship struggling with the balance. Their friendly conversations grew to flirty ones, always bordering the line between  _ just _ flirting and more.

Nick dropped down onto the cot with a groan. Ellie would hate him, and that was that. 

It all ended when Jake got his head out of his ass—and soon after Nick got an assignment. He made his excuses of getting a job in another state, and Rafael disappeared to never be heard from again. Nick did his best to shove it all out of his memory to make room for the next identity, and then the next. 

When he saw her again pointing a gun at him, his world seemed to stop and turn on its axis. His family being in danger was the only thing keeping him in the game. He was going to say something to her, he  _ was _ \- then they all found out about Qasim and he chickened out. Ellie was happy, and he wasn’t about to potentially screw up another relationship of hers especially one that made her glow. 

He kept making excuses until it felt too late to say anything. 

A day later when he stepped onto the airfield back in DC he straightened his shoulders steeling himself for the anger that would be thrown at him.

* * *

He was right about the anger. 

Nick was told to head home for some rest before coming back into work the next day, and so upon opening his door to a knock not long after he got there, Ellie was the first person he saw.

It only took seconds after opening his door and her walking into his apartment for it to happen.

Ellie swung back her fist, punching him just hard enough for his head to snap to the side. 

“ _ Rafael?! _ ” She shouted, storming into his kitchen, grabbing an ice pack from the freezer, and tossing it at him roughly. Nick flinched and caught it, trying not to find it amusing that she was angry, punched him, yet still cared. “I’m so- so..pissed at you!”

“You have every right to be.” He told her with a small groan, sitting heavily down onto the couch. “I should have told you a long time ago.”

“I shouldn’t have heard about this from  _ Jake _ of all people!” Ellie stood in front of him, hands on her hips and a fire in her eyes. “It was..embarrassing! Not only that I didn’t  _ know _ who you were, but the fact Jake only knows you as his friend who disappeared, a friend I was only supposed to know through stories he told!”

“Yeah well...you certainly have stories of your own-”

“Oh don’t even!” Ellie pointed her finger at him as if telling off a naughty child.

Nick tried not to grin only serving to make her eyes narrow.

“So uh, are you  _ really _ that pissed off at me or are you just mad that Jake knew who I was before you?” He finally let his lips twitch upwards. “Ellie Bishop! Are you mad I was friends with him first?”

Ellie huffed. “No that’s ridiculous you idiot! And he was friends with  _ Rafael _ , not you.”

“Hm really?” A slow smirk formed on his face. “So if Rafael and I are different people..”

Her breath caught at his words, knowing him so well she knew what he meant almost right away. Her eyes widened for a second before she bit her lip, thinking.

Nick though, wasn’t prepared for her to  _ act _ . Oh no, he was expecting teasing or a bordering on flirty comment that just like always went nowhere. 

Instead, Ellie placed her hands on his shoulders pushing him against the back of the couch as she straddled his lap. Nick’s words caught in his throat, staring at her with shocked eyes.

Unspoken words hung in the air as Nick finally snapped out of it, their lips meeting in a heated rough kiss, all the built up tension and longing seconds from snapping completely. 

_ Rafael wasn’t on the team, and so an exception from rule 12.  _

Least that’s what they would tell themselves in the following hours after they lay in his bed slick with sweat and breathing heavily. 

“Are you still angry?” Nick asked softly, putting his arm around her waist to pull her against him.

Ellie didn’t fight it like he thought she might, instead she curled herself into him with a happy sigh. “I should be, but things were so different back then..we’ve both changed so much, haven’t we?”

“Yeah..” He pressed a kiss to her head. “Yeah we are.”

  
  
  


_ are you up? _

_ happy birthday Ellie _ 🎉

_ you remembered?! _

_ of course I did. how could I forget? _

_ Jake did.. _ 😞

_ to hell with him then, you know you deserve better _

__

_ do I really? my history says differently _

_ you do. you’ll see it one day _

_ and if anyone tries to tell you differently I’ll take care of them for you _

_ aww my hero!  _ 😘

_ okay miss sarcasm. you should be sleeping _

_ I will soon! _

_ Rafael? _

_ yeah? _

_ you deserve it too you know _

_ deserve what? _

_ happiness _

_ thank you _

_ what for? I’m just telling you the truth _

_ just..thank you _

_ you’re welcome _

_ I really do mean it _

_ I know _

_ sweet dreams Ellie _

_ goodnight!  _ ❤


End file.
